Cattle prod accuser arrested for making false statement

A woman who set off a state investigation when she accused an employee at a Washington County facility of using a cattle prod on a disabled resident was arrested on Friday after police said she made up her story.

Allison Baranski, 23, was charged with making a false written statement, a misdemeanor, stemming from allegations that surfaced in July, sheriff’s deputies said.

Here’s the statement just released from Courtney Burke, commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities:

“This summer, an OPWDD employee alleged that a colleague was physically abusing an individual in our care with a cattle prod. OPWDD immediately placed the accused on administrative leave and notified legal authorities of a possible criminal occurrence. Following an exhaustive investigation, the employee who made the allegation has stated it was, in fact, a false accusation.

“I am disappointed this investigation caused disruption to the lives of the individuals residing in that home, and was a considerable drain on resources that would have been better spent investigating real cases. But we take every allegation very seriously, and our strengthened investigations process and agreement with State Police resulted in a definitive outcome. I thank our partners in law enforcement, especially the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney, for their diligent investigation.”